Process of and apparatus for manufacturing lighting or



(N0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

- J. ,P. GILL.

I PROUESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING LIGHTING 0R HEATING VAPORS;

No. 275,635. Patenied Apr. 10, 1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFEicE.

J-OSEPH'P. GILL, NEW YORK, N. Y.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING LIGHTING 0R HEATING VAPORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 275,635, dated April10, 1883.

Application filed March 21, 1881. (No model.)

- certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of and Apparatus forManufacturing Lighting or Heating Vapors; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, whichwill enable others skilled in the art to which'it pertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

Myinvention includes in part the apparatus described in applicationsfiled by me February 25, 1881, and March 19, 1881, in the United StatesPatent Office, said applications bearing respectively serial numbers26,951 and 28,665, which apparatus is modified, as hereinafterdescribed, to adapt it to the methods set forth hereinafter.

The essential part of the invention consists in passing either ahighly-heated air and the vapor of a hydrocarbon liquid-or anon-illuminating gas or heated air alone through a retort containingbituminous coal or an equivalent solid or liquid hydrocarbon in a stateof vaporization at a heat below that of destructive distillation,whereby a highly-rarefied and.

elastic heating-vapor is formed. To a certain extent the highly-heatedair conimingled with the vapor of a hydrocarbon liquid andnonilluminating gas, and the highly-heated air alone, are equivalents ofeach other-that is to say. they will take up the vapors rising from thedistillation of the bituminous coal or from the other specific materialswhich may be substituted for the bituminous coal under the conditionsnamed, and will produce by the process hereinafter described ahighly-elastic rarefled heating-vapor; but these different agents, whichare used to take up the hydrocarbon vapors in the retort to form theheating-vapor, are each adapted particularly for specific purposes, andin the apparatus which I have shown in the accompanying drawings andhereinafter described any one of these may be used, ac-

cording to the particular purpose for which the heating-gas is required,so that while the general method is the same both the method and theapparatus. are capable of variation by the selection of any one or anycombination of the absorbing and conveying gases or vapors, according tothe particular purpose for which they are required.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l paratus in which the vaporizingretort is adapted to receive a solid hydrocarbon. Fig. 2 shows a likeelevation of the same form of apparatus with appliances in connectionwith the vaporizing-retort for supplying thereto the heavy liquidhydrocarbon, such as coal-tar and the like.

The apparatus shown in these figures is the same as that shown in theapplication herein before referred to, entitled Process and Apparatusfor the Manufacture of Gas, which was filed in the United States Patent-Office on the 19th day of May, 1881, with the addition of a number ofpipes, which are hereinafter fully described.

In the process carried onby the apparatus shown herein the fixing of thegas for consumption in a furnace or burners is not contemplated. Thefirst bench is provided with a retort, A ,which is adapted to holdanthracite coal or any similar hydrocarbon, to make in connection withother substances hereinafter described a non-illuminating gas, or toheat what ever may be passed through it.

' The apparatus is also provided with a boiler, W, for generating steam,which is connected by a pipe to the superheaters H H K K, said pipebeing provided with automatic regulators M N,- which regulators are ofordinary construction and need not be herein particularly described. Thesuperheaters K K are directly connectedto the retort A by a pipe havingtwo branchespvhich enter the retort A on opposite sides. The retort A isconnected by a pipe, E,-with the retort B, placed in the second bench.This retort B is adapted to hold bituminous coal or any similarhydrocarbon and to subject the same to vaporization.

The apparatus thus far described is capable of operation as follows:Anthracite coal or any similar carbonaceous material being placed in theretort A and subjected to a high heat, steam from the boiler W isadmitted thereto through the superheaters, and these products areconverted in said retort into a non-illuminating gas, which is passedthrough the pipe shows a front elevation of one form of the ap- E intothe retort B,where it takes up the hydrocarbon vapors, and thence iscarried through the pipe F to the place of consumption; or it may passthrough the pipes I K and suitable intermediate apparatus to astorage-tank, X.

In case it be desirable from any reason to use some other substanceinstead of anthracite coal, I may supply the hydrocarbon from a liquidsource. For this purpose I provide the tank T, which is connected by apipe, an, to the pipe L, which conducts the steam from the superheatersto the retort A, forming with the pipe at vaporizer, whereby the steamin a highly-heated state carries the vapor of the hydrocarbon into theretort A, where they become a fixed non-illuminating gas, in the mannerheretofore described, and is carried onward, and is used in the samemanner as the gas produced from the anthracite coal; but in case Idesire to use steam directly for taking up the hydrocarbon vapors in theretort B, I may use the boiler W and its superheater S, by means ofwhich superheater steam may pass directly to and through the pipe E tothe retort B, and there act in connection with the hydrocarbon vapors,in the mannerheretoforedescribed. I do not propose, however, to usesteam alone to take up the vapors resulting from distillation,t'or thereason that itis liable to variation, and thereby is not so well fittedto act as an absorbent and conveyer of the va pors; but it may be useddirectly in connection with the air or non-illuminating gas. To furnishthe air I have provided an air-supplying device consisting of anair-pump, U, which is provided with automatic regulators, of aconstruction as shown in the application filed by me on the 25th day ofFebruary, 1881, entitled Manufacture of Gases and Vapors. Thisair-supplyis connected by a pipe, at, with the pipe L, leading to theretort A. The branch pipes connected with the superheater S are providedwith stopcocks, so that the superheater may be used or not, as mayberequired. The air in antomatically-regulated quantities may pass throughthe pipes specitied into the retort A, and there be highly heated, andthence be conveyed through the pipe E to the retort B, where itcoinmiugles with the vapors arising from the bituminous coal, and, whensaturated with such vapors, may pass, as before stated in respect to thenon-illuminating gas, either to the points of consumption or through thecondensing and purifying apparatus 0 f g and meter 1 to the holder X;but the heated air from the retort A may,in its passage through the pipeE, meet with the hydrocarbon liquid passing from the tank T through thepipes at Z) If, and the air and vaporized hydrocarbon pass into theretort B for conversion into a heating-vapor.

The air from the air-supplying apparatus may be passed around the retortA instead of through it. For this purpose I use a pipe connecting thepoints :0 and a", (said pipes being shown by dotted lines in thedrawings,)

by which the air may he passed directly to the pipe E. In this case Iuse the supcrheater S for the air.

I may also use the apparatus in another way, bringing into use at thesame time the retort G, which, in another application 1 have describedas a fixing-retort, using it in this connection as a heating-retort.This is accomplished in this wise: I may take a nonilluminating gasprepared by any one of the methods heretofore described and 'stored inthe holder X, and from said holder may pass this non-illuminating gasthrough the pipes V V to the retort G, where it is heated, and thence Imay take it through the pipe H H to the retortB,in which it commingleswith the vapors arising from the bituminous coal, with the resultheretofore stated. These combined vapors may then be taken through thepipe F either to a furnace or to burners for light- The apparatus inSheet 2 is similar to that shown in Sheet 1, except that I provideasmall tank, B, placed on the top of the furnace or in some other warmposition, where it may be suitablyheated. Thistank I supply withcoaltar, heavy oils, or resinous or oleaginous substances, which may bemelted and in a melted condition fed to the retort B, and used forvaporizinginstead of the bituminous coal. This tank B must be of a sizesutiicient to contain a quantity of the material required during acharge or run. The liquids are taken to the retort B through the pipe 1)gradually and uniformly. When the vapor passing from the retort B is nototherwise required it may be allowed to pass through a condensing-coil,C, to a tank, T.

Heated air from the superheater S or retort A and the superheated steamfrom superheater S may pass together through the pipe E into the retortB in the manner described for each. Steam used with the air acts as adiluent, and may be employed when a thinner or poorer vapor is required.

I have provided a pipe, E extending from the pipe E around the bench ofthe retort C and connecting with the pipe H, by means of which any ofthe products passing through the pipe E may be conveyed to the pipe Hand its connections without passing through the retort B, if it be sodesired.

I do not herein claim the combination of an airsupply pipe and regulatorand liquid hydrocarbon and steam-supplying devices provided withautomatic regulators, a superheater, and vaporizer, said combinationbeing claimed in application (Serial No. 28,425) filed March 16, 1881.

I am aware that it is not new to pass steam over carbonaceous materialin process of distillation, that having been shown in the patent ofStevens, No. 3,338, of March 23, 1869, as wellas elsewhere, and I donotbroadly claim that process.

I have described the apparatus and process as adapted to produce alighting and heating IIO vapor by the direct application of the heatedair or gas to the distilling hydrocarbon; but

for the best results I use the liquid hydrocarat ordinary temperatures.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. The process ofproducing lighting or heating vapors, consisting in combininghighlyheated air or non-illuminating gas (both with orwithoutsuperheated steam) with the vapors,

arising in a heated retort from bituminous coal or other solid or meltedhydrocarbons, coal-tar, or similar heavy liquids in the process ofvaporization at a temperature kept below that of destructivedistillation',the combinationormix: ture being effected by theintroduction of the air or gas into the vapor above the distilling coal,substantially as set forth.

2. The process of producing lighting or heating vapors, consisting incombining highlyheated air or non-illuminating gas, both with or withoutsuperheated steam, in conjunction with the vapor of liquid hydrocarbon,with the vapors arising in a heated retort from bituminouscoal orothersolid or melted hydrocarbons, coal-tar, or similar heavy liquids in theprocess of vaporization at a temperature kept below that of destructivedistillation, substantially as described. 7'

3. The described apparatus, consisting of 40 JOSEPH PEARSON GILL.

Witnesses:

B. F. J AMES, WM. H. GRENELLE.

